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NMSU celebrates OUTober, promotes diversity, inclusion

Kristie Garcia, NMSU
Published 6:44 p.m. MT Sept. 26, 2016

National pageant queen Eva Alicia Jane will host the Second Annual Halloween Drag Show at Corbett Center Student Union Auditorium on Oct. 26. New Mexico State University LGBT+ Programs is hosting several events as part of OUTober 2016 – Celebrating Diversity Coming Out Month.(Photo: Courtesy)

LAS CRUCES - The New Mexico State University LGBT+ Programs will host several events as part of OUTober 2016 — Celebrating Diversity Coming Out Month.

Zooey Sophia Pook, senior program specialist for LGBT+ Programs at NMSU, said OUTober will showcase a wide range of creative activities that speak to the NMSU community as a whole.

“The OUTober celebration is not just one event, it’s a year-long way of life,” Pook said. “It’s part of our general campaign to promote inclusion. It’s about discovering diversity here at NMSU.”

Pook also said that while pride season is in the spring, it’s important to introduce new NMSU students to the university’s inclusive resources soon after they begin their first semester.

OUTober includes the following:

Oct. 5 from 2 to 5 p.m.: Alianza of New Mexico will offer free health screenings and testing in the LGBT+ Programs office in Garcia Annex Room 235.

Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.: Candace Gingrich will speak at Corbett Center Student Union Auditorium. She is the youth and campus engagement program associate director for the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization. She has been an advocate for LGBT issues for over 20 years and wrote an autobiography titled “The Accidental Activist.” She is the sister of politician Newt Gingrich.

Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.: Directed by Sean Baker, the movie “Tangerine” will be shown at the Creative Media Institute Digital Media Theater in Milton Hall. A comedy-drama about revenge, “Tangerine” focuses on the lives of two transgender characters.

Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Haunted Healthcare Party will take over the Campus Health Center for two hours on Halloween. This open house event will celebrate the health center’s inclusiveness and will promote diversity. Health screenings will be available, and representatives from the activity center and other campus wellness services will be present. The party will include free food and games.

All events are free. OUTober is sponsored by Black Programs, the Campus Health Center and the NMSU Department of English.